DIXFIELD — The Western Foothills Regional School Unit 10 board agreed unanimously Monday night to extend the deadline for staff to submit retirement resignations until May 1. If Gov. Paul LePage’s proposed budget doesn’t pass by then, the board could extend that deadline even longer, they said. Staff eligible for retirement had until April 15 […]
Paul LePage
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine AG says mural removal is ‘government speech’
PORTLAND — Gov. Paul LePage’s administration was exercising its right to “government speech” when it removed a labor history mural from the state Labor Department headquarters, the Maine attorney general said Monday. In a document filed in U.S. District Court, Attorney General William Schneider said a lawsuit seeking to have the mural returned to its […]
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New state police chief nominated
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage has nominated Maine State Police 27-year veteran Robert Williams of Vassalboro as chief of the state police force. LePage and Public Safety Commissioner John Morris announced Williams’ nomination on Monday. Williams faces confirmation review by the Legislature. Williams, who is 47, currently serves as the deputy chief of the department, […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Bill seeks Real ID law rollback in Maine
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A bill that’s sponsored by an independent and has bipartisan support would repeal some requirements under the federal Real ID law in hopes of protecting the privacy of Maine residents. Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s office said Wednesday that he is also interested in working toward passage of Portland independent Rep. Ben […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine among states with ‘common core’ ed stanards
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine has become the 42nd state to adopt a new set of academic standards known as Common Core. Gov. Paul LePage on Friday signed the Common Core standards bill into law after it passed both the House and Senate unanimously. The administration says it sets forth a clear set of standards […]
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Feds want mural money back
WASHINGTON — If Maine Gov. Paul LePage doesn’t wish to display a mural depicting the state’s labor history, then the U.S. Department of Labor wants back the federal money used to create it. The department said Monday that LePage violated the terms of a federal grant that paid for most of the mural’s $60,000 cost […]
Posted inMaine, The Franklin Journal
Political Pulse: The mural, recall politics and pranks
Nuggets from the notebook while vetting a mural conspiracy theory … The mural furor has leaned heavily toward critics of Gov. Paul LePage’s decision to remove the 36-foot piece from the Department of Labor. Even traditional allies have avoided supporting the governor. The president of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce has suggested a compromise […]
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LePage says mural removal timing unfortunate
AUGUSTA — Spokespeople for Gov. Paul LePage have said that the timing of the administration’s decision to remove a 36-foot mural from the Maine Department of Labor was unfortunate. This week, after absorbing criticism from his own party, the governor finally said so himself. Although LePage told the Maine Public Broadcasting Network that he stood […]
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LePage: Labor mural removal was badly timed
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine Gov. Paul LePage says his timing wasn’t the best when he ordered the removal of a mural about the state’s labor history from the Department of Labor in Augusta. In his first public comments on the issue, which have drawn criticism from labor activists across the country, LePage said the […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage headed to Jamaica for vacation
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine’s governor is taking a break, heading away to Jamaica for a week. Press Secretary Adrienne Bennett says it’ll be the first break for Gov. Paul LePage since his inauguration in January. She says he’s been working six days a week since then. LePage is familiar with Jamaica. While golfing there, […]